A Dog Called Hope: A Wounded Warrior and the Service Dog Who Saved Him

by Jason Morgan

A decade ago, Special Forces warrior Jason Morgan parachuted into the Central American jungle on an anti-narcotics raid. Months later, he regained consciousness in a US military hospital, with no memory of how he'd gotten there-- and a prognosis that he would never walk again. After multiple surgeries and numerous setbacks, Morgan was a single father confined to a wheelchair and tortured by his pain. Light came in the form of Napal, the black Labrador who would change his life forever. This is the story of how one very special dog gave a man;s life true meaning.

• ISBN10: 1476797005
• ISBN13: 9781476797007
• Publish Date: 16 May 2017 (first published 10 March 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Atria Books
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Liz (Bent Bookworm)]

A Dog Called Hope is a powerful story of survival, of the power of family and community, and yes, of hope. Jason Morgan is at the top of his game as a member of the elite army SOAR team (one of the very few Air Force personnel to claim such a title) when he is injured in a catastrophic accident during a mission and his life as he knew it, as he had planned it, was over. From the depths of pain and despair, to hauling himself along by sheer force of will and determined to live for his three sons, if not himself, he survives. Survives, but just barely, until a chance encounter with a stranger puts him in contact with Canine Companions for Independence and finally his service dog, Napal. Napal is an angel in disguise, and with his support and the bridges he builds with the rest of Morgan's community the team go on to achieve things that doctors and even Morgan himself said would never be possible.

I put off reading this book for far too long. I'll admit it, I was scared it would hit way too close to home. As someone who has served in the military, and who has family members disabled from their own service, it both strongly appealed and made me uncomfortable. Appealed because I think we all share some kinship regardless of the branch of service we claim, and made uncomfortable because it could so easily have been someone I knew and loved.

Also because I love dogs more than I love life itself and after seeing someone's review about this being a tearjerker (which it was) I was even more worried about reading it. I cried my eyes out at the end. But it was also totally worth it.

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